After enjoying a hearty dinner out, Ichin and Utaha said goodbye to Kō and the others and returned to the apartnt.
Not long after entering, Ichin, with a glass of water in hand, heard the door open again.
Stepping out to check, he saw Utaha had already slipped off her shoes and stepped inside.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"My parents aren't ho yet." Utaha sat next to Ichin on the couch and held up her phone to show him a photo.
The image showed her father dining and drinking with a group of relatives in a lively restaurant.
As she showed it to Ichin, her phone buzzed again.
Utaha glanced at it—it was another ssage from her mother.
"My parents drank tonight and can't drive ho, so they're staying out."
Looking at the ssage, Utaha was unsure whether to laugh or be annoyed. She had a nagging suspicion her mother was doing this on purpose, as if testing her.
Ichin leaned in to take a look and comnted, "Yeah, drunk driving is dangerous. It's better they stay safe."
Is that the point?
Utaha rolled her eyes at him and lazily leaned back on the couch. "Ichin, are you planning to work tonight?"
"Tonight? Probably not."
After thinking for a mont, Ichin replied, "I've been working all day. I'm planning to play so gas later and then head to bed early. While I value ga developnt, as soone in the industry, I also need to stay updated on the latest releases. Can't just bury my head in my own work."
Gas again, huh?
Utaha wasn't surprised by his answer. Getting Ichin to do anything on his own initiative was practically impossible.
But taking the lead herself was another challenge. She was a complete novice in such matters and didn't have the courage to act on her thoughts. Lying next to Ichin on the couch last ti had already been her limit.
Still, this was too good an opportunity to pass up. With her parents gone for the night, she could spend more ti with Ichin. Who knew when such a chance would co again?
Well, there is another possibility—her father's company trip in late August. Both of her parents would definitely attend, but that was still a long way off.
For now, Ichin seed entirely unaware of Utaha's inner turmoil. He finished his water and casually said, "I'm going to take a shower. You can watch so TV in the anti."
As Ichin headed to the bathroom, Utaha's expression shifted to one of deep contemplation.
What should I do next?
Seek advice?
From whom? Eriri?
No way!
Eriri might be skilled at drawing doujinshi, but she had no real-world experience. Other than her, there were a few girls in her class with boyfriends, but Utaha didn't have their contact information and couldn't imagine asking them such a bold question.
Grabbing her hair in frustration, Utaha muttered, "Why can't Ichin be a bit more proactive?"
After five minutes of deliberation, she still didn't muster the courage to take the next step.
When Ichin finished his shower and returned, he chatted with Utaha for a while before she decided to head back ho.
As Utaha left, Ichin muttered to himself in confusion, "Sothing feels off today..."
Unable to pinpoint what was wrong, he simply shook his head and returned to his bedroom.
---
Sunday passed much like Saturday for Ichin. With Utaha accompanying him, he spent the day in the studio alternating between work and breaks.
For dinner, since Utaha's parents had returned, they ate at the Kasumigaoka household. Her parents seed to treat Ichin increasingly as part of the family, though he couldn't shake the feeling that their gazes held a peculiar undertone.
---
Monday arrived. Ichin had taken the day off to visit Nintendo with Hazuki to sign the developnt kit agreent and discuss other collaborative opportunities.
Early in the morning, Hazuki drove to Ichin's place. After dropping off the cat at the studio, she gave Ichin and Utaha a ride to Toyogasaki High School, where Utaha was dropped off for school.
At the school gate, after Utaha got out of the car, Ichin rolled down the passenger window and said, "Although I'm heading to Kyoto, I should be back by the afternoon, barring any unexpected delays. Not sure exactly what ti, though."
Utaha nodded with a smile. Leaning down, she kissed Ichin lightly before saying, "Got it. If you'll be back in ti for dinner, let know. I'll ask Mom to prepare sothing. Hazuki-san, I'll leave Ichin in your care!"
"Got it~ Leave it to !" Hazuki responded with a cheerful thumbs-up before starting the car and driving off with Ichin. Utaha turned and entered the school gates alone.
---
That day, the results of the midterm exams were being posted.
Even though Ichin had taken the day off, he wasn't the least bit worried about his scores and hadn't bothered to ask Shizuka Hiratsuka about his marks the day before.
Upon entering the school building, Utaha saw a large group of students crowding around the results board, scanning for their scores.
Two girls from her class approached her, greeting with smiles. "Good morning, Kasumigaoka-san!"
"Good morning," Utaha replied with a polite smile.
One of the girls glanced around curiously and asked, "That's strange. Isn't Ichin-kun usually with you? It's rare to see you alone."
"Ichin had so things to take care of today, so he took the day off," Utaha explained.
Standing on tiptoe, she peered at the top of the results board and found both her and Ichin's nas.
Frowning slightly, she muttered, "Still lost. Second place again, and I'm eight points behind Ichin."
As expected, Ichin had secured first place in the grade, with Utaha taking second. The gap between them and the third-place student was still significant.
Looking at the first-year results on another board, Utaha saw Yukino Yukinoshita in the top spot—unsurprising, considering her reputation as a studious and highly knowledgeable academic.
"I wonder how Eriri did," Utaha thought as she headed for the stairs, pulling out her phone to send Ichin his scores and to inquire about Eriri's.
A few minutes later, Eriri replied, surprising Utaha with her ranking of 35th in the grade—a decent improvent.
It seed Yukino's grueling tutoring sessions and spot-on question predictions had paid off.
---
The morning classes were spent reviewing the exam papers with the subject teachers.
By noon, Utaha t up with Eriri and Yukino, and the three girls gathered in the Service Club room to have lunch together.
...
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